NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management Zagreb 22-24 September 2002 REFLECTIONS

1. NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management Zagreb 22-24 September 2002 REFLECTIONS ON DEVELOPMENT OF ALBANIAN ACADEMIC NETWORK How a NATO NIG project could survive? NEKI FRASHERI INIMA - ANA Albanian Academic Network

2. ALBANIA - WAS THERE ANY ACADEMIC NETWORK ??? THE PAST ... The beginning - seventies • Computing introduced in 1971 • Center of Mathematical Calculus (academic center) • Mathematical modeling, engineering, statistics etc. • Other specialized centers of calculus (seismics, topogaphy, miltary, accounting) • There was no networking ... • Old technology & no interconnection of computers • Missing of redundancy to stimulate data exchange • Missing of international collaboration NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

3. Development - eighties • Project funded by UNDP executed by UNESCO • Metropolitan network of star topology (1985) • Proprietary technology DSA (Bull France) • Managed by INIMA (Academy of Sciences) • 40 Sites, academic institutions and ministries • Training of specialists in different levels • Chair of informatics at University of Tirana • But ... • Each site had one ASCII terminal with (?) printer • The main service used was remote calculation • Majority of specialists had difficulties to access the network directly - had to collaborate with someone NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

4. Decline - nineties • The creation of network was an important event • But it happened in a bad time • Emergence of personal computers that from beginning, even in small numbers, did a strong concurrence to a network considered as simply a calculation engine • For some years while it was in a monopolistic position, this network survived. When this position terminated the network was abandoned by its users and shut down because of lack of financial means • Everything had to restart from the beginning... NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

5. Lessons learned • Network needs to offer useful services. • There is big difference between “potentially useful” and “really useful” services • Concurrence between alternate solutions. • In DCs the main service used is the Internet • Today donors prefer to invest in content production • Balance between content, connectivity and hardware • Direct access to the network is important • impact of a single workstation connected to a broadband network would be negligible compared with slow dial-up connection available for many workstations. NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

6. ALBANIA - WAS THERE ANY ACADEMIC NETWORK ??? THE PRESENT • Renaissance - nineties • Emerging isolated local networks • First experiments with TCP/IP etc. • Testing dial-up connection with EARN, 1992 • First dial-up email connection with Internet, 1994 • A NATO NIG proposal, partially implemented... • Public dial-up email service created by UNDP, 1996 • Internet service created by Soros Foundation, 1997 This played the role of a small academic network • Different attempts to create an academic network • June 2002 - the first step for creation of ANA NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

7. The Millennium • Termination of Soros Foundation Internet project that supported a part of academic institutions • Impossible to use the scarce outdated infrastructure • The need to rebuilt the academic network from the scratch, • Creation of first organization structures for the new Albanian Academic Network (ANA) • Joint decision of Ministry of Education and Science and of Academy of Sciences to create two boards • a Managerial Board • a Technical Board NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

8. Managerial Board of ANA (1) Minister of Education and Science, co.-chairman (2) Chairman of Academy of Science, co.-chairman (3) Rector of University of Tirana (*) (4) Rector of Polytechnic University (*) (5) Director of Institute of Informatics and Applied Mathematics (6) Charged with ICT in the Ministry of Education and Science (actually the general secretary of Ministry) (7) Director of telecommunications at the respective ministry _______________________________________________ (*) Two rectors are appointed by the Conference of Rectors NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

9. Technical Board of ANA (1) Charged with ICT of Ministry of Education and Science, actually Chairman of the Board (A.Minxhozi) (2) Director of Institute of Informatics and Applied Maths. (3) Representative1 from University of Tirana (4) Representative2 from University of Tirana (5) Representative3 from University of Tirana (6) Representative1 from Polytechnic University (7) Representative2 from Polytechnic University (8) Representative1 from Academy of Sciences, actually secretary of the Board (N.Frasheri) (9) Representative2 from Academy of Sciences (10) Representative from University of Elbasan. (11-13) Three representatives of telecommunication sector NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

10. Perspectives for ANA • Infrastructure • metropolitan network in Tirana, • interurban links to connect other five cities • international connectivity, including cross-border links with neighbor NRENs • Possible funding are identified: • Aids from Italian Government • National Programme for Research and Development • EU & NATO grants (ex. EU project SEEREN) • Other donors (to be found, ex. UNESCO initiative) NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

11. Principles for a sustainable network • Built private network infrastructure • Extend network access towards end users • Outsource only a part of maintenance and services • Get minimal guaranteed funding from government • Necessary conditions for success • Synergy within boards of ANA, in order to optimize resources and strengthen the basis for collaboration • Involvement of decision makers for their support and push them to develop local networks & services • Involvement through motivation of specialists from the academic community, to contribute for developing of network infrastructure, services and applications NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

12. Lessons learned • “Gift” versus “Work” approach • the former is good but dangerous approach • the latter lead to working network but is difficult • The best would be a mixed approach • Coordinate actions with other organizations • Otherwise need to change objectives of the project • Be careful with what you will attract users • implement useful services • compete with active ISPs • balance content with connectivity NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

13. Other lessons • Take care of decision makers • they may neglect networking • they may tace care of themselves only • Design a scaleable solution • that may survive even with minimal funding • Be careful with selection of your partners • you need good-for-network-building partners. • Involve local human resources through projects • a way to pay people without asking simply higher salaries, the latter is difficult to be achieved NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

14. ALBANIA - WAS THERE ANY ACADEMIC NETWORK ??? THE FUTURE • It is difficult to speak for the future • The question “would we be able to follow up the development of ICT?” remains crucial • Academic networking may appear a pure luxury compared with other needs of the country • But it is a significant indicator for • the degree of overall development • and emancipation of the country NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

15. THANK YOU NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002